Is there any way to recycle old rigging?

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by Hudson Force

I've found ranchers with fencing for horses or cattle are very fond of my old rigging. It's prized for tensioning fencing and diagonal bracing in swing gates.

One could also use it to brace or guy any light-duty structure, such as trellises or pergolas or the supports for tents or tarps. Quarter-inch stays can support thousands of pounds unless they are visibly corroded: you can cut off the terminals and rig them with rigging thimbles to anything strong enough to take the tensioning.

[Xthewater]

Kept mine after standing rerigging. Soaked in a tub of warm oxalic acid then neutralized, came out looking shiny new. Repurposed for lifelines.

[roverhi]

Recycled old 1/4" 1x19 stainless wire into life lines on my old boat. Got the wire out of a scrap pile in a boat yard, inspected it for broken strands or pitting, cut off the swaged ends and used Norseman Terminals to fit to the boat. Way Way stronger than the usual coated wire terminals without the problems of corrosion and more comfortable to lean against. Still in good condition when we sold the boat 10 years later.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by roverhi

Recycled old 1/4" 1x19 stainless wire into life lines on my old boat. Got the wire out of a scrap pile in a boat yard, inspected it for broken strands or pitting, cut off the swaged ends and used Norseman Terminals to fit to the boat. Way Way stronger than the usual coated wire terminals without the problems of corrosion and more comfortable to lean against. Still in good condition when we sold the boat 10 years later.

I like the lifeline idea. Also plan to use them to rig jacklines.

[avb3]

Originally Posted by skipmac

I like the lifeline idea. Also plan to use them to rig jacklines.

How would you run the jacklines? I have enough trouble with the fabric ones; I would think you would be damaging your boat surface?

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by avb3

How would you run the jacklines? I have enough trouble with the fabric ones; I would think you would be damaging your boat surface?

Nicest jack lines I ever dealt with were on a Heritage One Ton. They ran in the inside radius where the deck met the cabin upright, following the curve of the boat. They had snap-on plastic covers. Positioned in the crack, you could never roll on them and they were permanent.

I am afraid our cast-off 3/4 inch stays might be too big for jacks or lifelines.

[JPA Cate]

True for you, Nicholson 58, but on our 36 footer, we used the old lowers for jacklines. It was convenient to just leave them out all the time, cause the rain washes them clean, they don't sun damage. Downside, is they need to lie outboard so they don'g roll under your feet.

Ann

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by avb3

How would you run the jacklines? I have enough trouble with the fabric ones; I would think you would be damaging your boat surface?

If I read Nicholson58 correctly, on my last boat I ran them like he described. Mounted pad eyes fore and aft and ran the jack lines on the deck right up against the cabin. This was a while ago but I don't recall any significant scratch or dent to the deck.

I'm looking at options on the cabin top for my current boat as I think having the jack line closer to the centerline of the boat the length of the tether will keep you on deck and not hanging over the lifelines.

[avb3]

Originally Posted by skipmac

If I read Nicholson58 correctly, on my last boat I ran them like he described. Mounted pad eyes fore and aft and ran the jack lines on the deck right up against the cabin. This was a while ago but I don't recall any significant scratch or dent to the deck.

I'm looking at options on the cabin top for my current boat as I think having the jack line closer to the centerline of the boat the length of the tether will keep you on deck and not hanging over the lifelines.

Are you using one or two tethers? As I single hand often, I use two, attaching one to the opposite side when possible, and sometimes to other attachment points such as the mast if I need to go out of the cockpit. In other words, I run two jacklines, one on each side of the boat. It's a bit awkward at times, but not as awkward as trying to make my way back inside of the boat when hanging over the side.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by avb3

Are you using one or two tethers? As I single hand often, I use two, attaching one to the opposite side when possible, and sometimes to other attachment points such as the mast if I need to go out of the cockpit. In other words, I run two jacklines, one on each side of the boat. It's a bit awkward at times, but not as awkward as trying to make my way back inside of the boat when hanging over the side.

Hanging off the side unable to climb back onboard is a real concern for me. Think I recall an incident where someone was stuck like that and ended up drowning. I think the only crew was his wife who couldn't get him back onboard.

Back in the old days (when I was young and foolish) I used a single line with a single clip. Now I'm older and wiser I have in the locker single lines with double clips but using two separate lines is an idea I'm considering.

Would be really hard for me to rig tethers to jacklines running port and starboard on the deck alongside the cabin. Too many obstacles that would require you to climb back and forth clipping and unclipping to move forward. Hasn't made it to the top of the list yet but if I can figure a way to run tether or tethers along the centerline of the boat that would seem to be the best option.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Paul Annapolis

Why not just call some scrap metal dealers or recyclers? I took all the cables to a local recycler from a 38' sloop and I think I got $14.00--yes all of $14.00. Some hardware is actual stainless and more valuable, but most shrouds and stays are partially ferrous and therefore of little value--they just put a magnet up to it all. The scrap dealer kept saying that somebody ought to sue all these sailboat makers for claiming the cables were stainless. It's my understanding that it mainly is due to strength, but I'm not a metallurgist or materials engineer-but I do trust my rigger and scrap dealer.

The OP even wrote that he did not check with a recycler but a one second web search for metal recyclers in Channel Islands that anyone with a computer and internet can do yielded these Search Results--so why not call them?:
.......

....all of which once again underscores the value of searching online first to contact actual experts rather than posing a question to a broad swath of the sailing community where you will yield a dozen opinions, some reliable, some maybe not. If the OP finds that there are other markets and better answers, that's terrific and we'd love to see them. But I asked my rigger and he showed me a huge pile of other cables tossed into a corner. That pretty much answered it for me and the metal recycler confirmed it a day later.

All SS has iron in it.... a lot. and BTW, even good stainless can be magnetic, once it's been cold worked... which makes it stronger.


304SS is 65+% iron


Component
Wt. %

C
Max 0.08

Cr
18 - 20

Fe
66.345 - 74

Mn
Max 2

Ni
8 - 10.5

P
Max 0.045

S
Max 0.03

Si
Max 1

[Sailorman Ed]

I snag all I can, makes excellent porch and stairway railing.

[Stumble]

I simply can't countenance reusing standing rigging for anything involving a life saving purpose. Sure it's far larger than spec lifeline wires, or jack lines, but this stuff was retired for a reason. It was no longer considered safe for its intended purpose, reusing it in another mission critical application is just false economy.

Wire itself is cheap, just buy some more.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by Stumble

I simply can't countenance reusing standing rigging for anything involving a life saving purpose. Sure it's far larger than spec lifeline wires, or jack lines, but this stuff was retired for a reason. It was no longer considered safe for its intended purpose, reusing it in another mission critical application is just false economy.

Wire itself is cheap, just buy some more.

Breaking strength of 3/8" 1X19 is 10-15,000 lbs, depending on the alloy and whose data you use.

First, I wouldn't even consider using old wire without a very careful inspection but if it passed, why not?

The difference in breaking strength of the wire vs any strain that could possibly be placed on it for lifelines or even a harness tether is so huge I wouldn't worry, but that's me.

[Stumble]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Breaking strength of 3/8" 1X19 is 10-15,000 lbs, depending on the alloy and whose data you use.

First, I wouldn't even consider using old wire without a very careful inspection but if it passed, why not?

The difference in breaking strength of the wire vs any strain that could possibly be placed on it for lifelines or even a harness tether is so huge I wouldn't worry, but that's me.

Even assuming you chose to buy 3/8 1x19 wire. The cost for 80' of it would only be $290. So for at most $300 you are willing to use life safety gear that you know is not up to spec anymore?

Just an FYI the four Norseman terminals for jacklines would cost you $320. If you want to use them for lifelines, expect to spend a few thousand dollars on terminals, and save a few hundred bucks on old wire.